Pascal Wehrlein may be regarded as Mercedes' answer to Max Verstappen, but there was a very real danger the German wouldn't be in Formula One in 2016.
When the Mercedes-backed youngster won the prestigious DTM touring car championship in October 2015, just two weeks after the Manor F1 team announced a deal to use Mercedes engines, it felt like the ideal time for one of the more predictable driver deals of 2016 to be confirmed.
Yet the wait for the news of his graduation to F1 went on and on to the point where Wehrlein told F1i.com's Chris Medland he was more likely to defend his DTM title—or switch to the GP2 feeder series—than join Lewis Hamilton and Co. on the grid.
However, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff had a plan.
Having previous...